


The Asexual Psychic and the Virgin Witch

by meridian_rose (meridianrose)



Category: Midnight Texas (TV)
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexual Manfred, Drunken Confessions, Gen, Heart-to-Heart, Olivia appears briefly, Virginity, ace ring, acephobic Creek, past Manfred/Creek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 09:04:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14185563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meridianrose/pseuds/meridian_rose
Summary: When Manfred and Creek break up before she leaves for college, he and Fiji have a heart to heart with some surprising confessions.





	The Asexual Psychic and the Virgin Witch

Fiji was just closing the store when Olivia stopped by.

"Creek and Manfred broke up," Olivia told Fiji in her usual matter-of-fact manner.

"Oh. Because she's going to college?" She hadn't been that surprised when Creek had made her decision to apply, and wasn't wholly surprised if the relationship wasn't going to survive not only the distance, but the way it underscored the difference both in age and experiences between Manfred and Creek, with the young woman possibly wanting full freedom to explore and enjoy something she'd been denied by her father for too long.

Olivia shrugged. "He seems pretty down about it. I'd take him out for beers but I have a job near Dallas."

"You think I should make him herbal tea?" Fiji was good at making tea and she wanted to help.

Olivia gave her a long look. "Just give me a minute."

About five minutes later Olivia returned from her dash across to her apartment beneath the pawn shop, a bottle in hand. She passed it to Fiji. "Try this."

Fiji peered at the label, written in an unfamiliar language. "What is it?"

"There's herbs in it," Olivia said vaguely. "And you don't need to warm it like most of your blended teas. Have fun."

So Fiji phoned and asked Manfred to join her. "Want to come and keep me company?" she said, making it sound like he'd be doing her a favour and therefore more likely to accept. "It's a nice evening."

He joined her a few moments later, ambling across the road, shoulders hunched, hands shoved in the pockets of his tight black jeans. "Hey. Thanks for calling. I could do with a distraction."

"I heard." Fiji gestured and they sat on opposite ends of the iron bench outside the store, amongst the herbs and flowering plants. The bench had been painted white but the elements had weathered it to a state she liked to think of as "rustic" even though there were a few patches more suited to the term "rusty".

She'd poured two glasses in advance and reached down to pick one up from the floor and hand it over. "Here, Olivia gave me this herbal tonic."

Manfred eyed the glass, half-filled with amber liquid, with suspicion. He took a sip, then a longer drink. He smiled. "I think there's quite a bit of alcohol in it."

Fiji tasted the liquid. "Oh yes. And is that aniseed?"

"I'm getting a hint of honey." Manfred swirled the glass like a wine taster, admiring the colour. "Thanks, Olivia."

Fiji held her glass out. "Cheers."

They clinked the glasses. Fiji swung her legs backward and forward, enjoying the warm evening air. A few stars were already visible in the darkening sky.

They made small talk for a while, finished their drinks, poured seconds, then a third each. Fiji's necklace of purple discs rattled as she leaned over to put the bottle down snugly between them, tired of reaching down to the ground.

"I love that pendant," Manfred said.

"Thanks. Amethyst, for protection," she said. She held out her hands. "And that ring there, that's for channelling power."

"I guess it's expected for a witch, the jewellery. And it's useful."

"Yes."

"Do you know why I wear all this jewellery?" Manfred asked, waving one hand unsteadily in the air and in the general direction of his face.

Fiji was beginning to feel the affects of the so-called tonic too which might be why she quipped, "For the aesthetic?"

"Yes, that too." Manfred rubbed at the black ring on his right middle finger. "I wear multiple rings though to hide this one. Because I'm a coward."

Fiji tipped her head. "I don't understand."

He gave a long sigh. "It's an ace ring."

She peered at it. "It's very nice."

Manfred laughed a little. "Thanks. But that's not what I meant. It's an asexual ring. I'm asexual. I kind of want people to know but then I know they'll judge me, so I add the extra rings as camouflage. That way I can deny it if anyone asks but doesn't seem accepting."

Fiji frowned. "Asexual?"

"I don't experience sexual attraction to anyone."

"Oh."

"People say it's good to be straight, and they tend to be either outright homophobic or accepting of same sex attraction. Bisexuality gets a mixed reception...but asexuality? If people have heard of it at all they often think it's a lie. Something made up. Not real. Deviant. Worse than being gay in their eyes because at least gay people want to screw other people. I'm a freak, in more ways than one."

Fiji stared at him and then put her glass on the dirt floor. She shuffled over to sit even closer to him. "Manfred, no. No, don't say that."

"I'm a psychic and that's unnatural enough. I was never going to have a normal life."

"I'm a witch. Back at you," Fiji said.

"Yes, and Midnight is accepting of the magical types, the weres, the vampires - well, Lemuel." Manfred blinked, momentarily losing his train of thought. "And Joe and Chuy are accepted, angel, demon, and gay. But being asexual is a different matter."

Fiji shook her head. "You don't think we'll accept you?"

"I don't know. I guess I didn't think so since I never told anyone. And I could pretend to be a little normal here. With everyone else's weirdness I didn't stand out. This would make me stand out again."

"I think I understand. But sometimes it's good to be different." Fiji looked around. "Oh, my glass fell over," she said sadly. It was further than she wanted to reach and probably dirty now anyway.

"Here." Manfred passed her the bottle. "I don't mind if we drink straight from the bottle."

She smiled, took a swig, grimaced. He laughed.

"Can I ask you something?" Fiji asked.

"Sure. Is it about masturbation?"

"No. Though now maybe...no!" Fiji shook her head so vigorously the liquid slopped around in the bottle. "What about Creek? Is this why you broke up?"

Manfred nodded. "She was all right with it for a while, so long as I didn't tell anyone. She liked the idea of being naughty, she said, of having a sexual relationship despite her father's concerns. She was okay with doing the things I'm comfortable doing. We'd drink beer and talk. We'd slow-dance and go for walks, holding hands. We'd cuddle on the sofa and watch ridiculous romcoms. We'd share a bed. Shower together. Kiss, passionately. But not sex. I think she expected me to change my mind. And she realised I wasn't going to, and then that college admissions letter came. She said she wouldn't go if we were truly in a relationship."

Fiji put her free hand on his knee. "Manfred."

"She should go to college. She wanted to go but her father wanted to keep her close because...anyway. Let's not go there."

Fiji nodded.

"So I'd have told her to go anyway. We could talk on the phone, Skype maybe. I'd drive to see her. She'd come back during the holidays and it wouldn't be forever. I like it here, but I even suggested relocating for the time she was at college. We could have got an apartment near the campus. I was willing to do that."

Fiji's hand tightened on his knee. Manfred gave a sad smile. "But she said unless I stopped denying her sex then we were done. She got angry, said something about fucking a dozen guys from the first fraternity she came across to make up for lost time." His voice trembled as he went on, "That they'd be glad to have her. That I was a prude and I'd die alone."

Fiji put the bottle down with a little more force than intended though fortunately it didn't break. She wrapped both arms around Manfred, awkwardly given their seated positions, but sincerely.

"I'm sorry," Fiji said. "You didn't deserve that. No wonder you're upset."

"This is where you say I'm better off without her?"

"Yes. But it won't feel like that for a while. It hurts, of course it does. It's okay to be sad." Fiji sat back, though leaning her head on his shoulder. They both stared out at the empty road for a while.

Manfred reached down the bottle and instead of topping up his glass, balanced precariously on the edge of the seat next to him, took a swig. "Thanks for being with me."

"What are friends for? You're not alone, no matter what Creek said."

He nodded, though clearly not wholly convinced. Fiji sat up straight again.

Further silence followed.

"I'm a virgin," Fiji said distantly.

Manfred turned his head to look at her. When she said nothing more, he said, "I'm not sure what to say."

She shrugged. "There was a guy, once. We almost...but he died."

"I'm sorry."

"It was my fault."

Manfred shook his head. "Fiji..."

"I've come to terms with it. My magic is dangerous. I lost control and I won't let that happen again." She let out a deep breath. "But the more years go by the more I find myself content without sex. I want romance. I want to be loved. But I wonder if I really wanted sex with that one person. When I look at…other people…" She didn't name names and Manfred didn't interrupt, which she was thankful for, "…I think about the romance more than the sex. Was it him and no other, the only man I could feel attraction for? Did I want it or did I just think I wanted it because that's what people are supposed to do? I'm happy with who I am. Yet somehow, hypocritically, I keep my virginity a secret because I'm ashamed. So I understand, perhaps more than you might think."

Manfred nodded. He shook the bottle at her. Fiji declined.

"I'm glad you told me," he said before he took a drink.

"We all have our secrets. You shared yours. I wanted to share mine. You, and maybe the Rev, are the only people I know who might understand. And the Rev's situation is different for many reasons."

Manfred nodded. "I'm a virgin too. I guess it's even more shameful for a man."

"Oh." There was no denying society's expectations for a man. "You've never been – curious?"

He gave a soft laugh. "I've met a lot of people during my travels with Xylda. I'd sometimes flirt, dance, date a little. I get wanting romance. But I'd always leave before things could get serious. If they got too pushy about sex I'd say I was waiting for marriage - some laughed, some found that cute. I told Violet, my doomed fiancée, that I was waiting until our wedding night and bless her she believed me. And then there was Creek, and I had to tell her the truth if we were going to have a real relationship. I should have known she couldn't accept it."

Fiji frowned. "You can't change who you are." She glanced over at the door. "I want snacks but they're inside."

"I'll get them in a moment. Just give me a moment." Manfred shifted his weight, a little stiff from the hard bench, a little intoxicated.

Fiji smiled at him. "I do, you know."

He frowned. "Do what?"

"Masturbate. Sometimes."

"Right." Manfred blinked a few times. "Me too. Creek took it as a personal insult so I had to cut back and only do it in private. It made me feel guilty and dirty in a way I hadn't felt in a long time."

"Well that's over now," Fiji said. "One bright spot."

He managed to get to his feet. "I'll get the snacks. Far left cupboard, yes?"

"Yes. Thanks."

Manfred stumbled to the door and Fiji suppressed a giggle as he all but fell into the store when the door opened more rapidly than he was expecting. She smoothed out her skirts as she waited for him to return with food.

The asexual psychic and the virgin witch. Midnight never stopped being a source of surprising diversity.

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr promo post](https://meridianrosewrites.tumblr.com/post/172520236667/the-asexual-psychic-and-the-virgin-witch)


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